Lydia Wainwright has a passion for helping animals and people to feel their best which is why she created Acu Animal in Annapolis in 2004. Before she learned acupuncture as a great form of animal care, she spent many years searching for her ideal profession; one where she could help people as well as animals, especially horses. Traditional Western Medicine was not the right ﬁt as it did not incorporate the whole animal nor person into treatment.

Finally, Lydia discovered acupuncture and animal acupuncture through the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, Maryland. (Now called Maryland University for Integrative Health.) She received her master's degree in Acupuncture for people in 2003. This degree includes almost 3,000 hours of acupuncture training from one of the top schools in the country. Additional training of nearly 200 hours certiﬁed her to treat animals in 2004.

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Lydia's background includes an established and successful equestrian career. She trained horses and competed just to the International Level in eventing (like a horse triathlon) and trained her own horses through Third Level dressage. Her home has been known for years as “Aunt Lydiaʼs Doggie Rehabilitation Center” where friends bring their dogs for helping animal behavior. In addition, being a Pony Club graduate and her pre-veterinary animal science classes from Kansas State University give her well rounded experience and knowledge with animals of all types.

Lydia worked for several years as a counselor, specializing in eating disorders. She offers her mission statement of “healing wisdom” to all her patients. Her mission statement comes from years of learning technical skills through formal education, years in her private practice as an acupuncturist and through her natural gift of intuitive observation. She continues to learn and improve her abilities in helping her patients.

Presently Lydia is working on her first book, The Five Personalities of Dogs, to be out Summer of 2014. She not only supervises students in the acupuncture school clinics but also gives classes on various topics to the general public. Please email or call for more information on classes or guest lecturer availability. Contact lydia@acuanimal.com . Lydia is certified to treat dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, rabbits, and birds and is licensed to treat people.